Abstract

Background and Objectives: Cervical cancer is considered as a preventable cancer in women. Pap smear test is an effective screening program for diagnosing cervical cancer, but for some reasons its use is low. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the women's participation in the Pap smear test based on precaution adoption process model and effect of educational program based on model on doing the Pap test with a Mixed Method approach. Materials and Methods: This study was a Mixed Method approach. Thirty women voluntarily participated in this study in sarvabad city of Iran. The sampling began purposefully and continued until saturation. Semi-structured interviews were the primary method of data collection. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and continuous comparisons. Quantitative study was conducted implementing a quasi-experimental method. Participants were divided into two groups as experimental and control groups using Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM) among 180 rural females in Sarvabad. In treating the experimental group, the methods of lecturing with question and answer, playing videos, specialized consulting and pamphlet were used. The questionnaire including a demographic characteristic and variables that affecting the stages of the Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM). Data analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney, chi-square and descriptive statistical methods. P <0.05 was considered as the significance level. Results: In qualitative study Model-based themes included, awareness, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, social norms. Women's awareness about cervical cancer and Pap smear test is not enough, but, they perceived the severity of the disease. In quantitative study in comparison of the means of the scores of psychological variables affecting the decision process in Pap smear test, there was a significant relationship between the experimental and control groups based on Mann-Whitney test and control groups based on variables, perceived susceptibility, awareness and social norms. But the perceived severity was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Findings of this study will help health managers and health planners to plan and train ways to facilitate the participation of women in the Pap smear test.